


A Noble Steed

by sapphire_scorpion



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 02:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13157751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphire_scorpion/pseuds/sapphire_scorpion
Summary: They got stuck together in a theme park. Alone. Seungcheol might have a little crush on Joshua. They end up getting married in front of a crowd that same night.





	A Noble Steed

“Well, I guess we’re stuck together for the time being,” Joshua chuckled.

Seungcheol grimaced. Lifting his gaze to the waiting line, their group of monkey friends wouldn’t be out until at least 2 hours later. Honestly, however, he’d rather spend 2 hours outside staring at the passers-by than puking his insides out. He didn’t regret his decision. “High speed turbulent roller coasters that include sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, lifting and dropping”? Seungcheol shuddered. No thank you. Hel tugged one hand out of his pocket to lightly wave at his friends inside.  

“Stay safe,” he shouted, then watched as his friends bounce to join the crawl.

Seungcheol pursed his lips and scuffled his sneakers against the pavewalk. So, it was now just him and Joshua…

He still remembers their first meeting – Seungcheol a freshman, shy yet eager and wandering through the humongous doors of his college. Joshua had been the resident “kind senior” then, and he always had flocks of girls surrounding him wherever he went. It had always baffled Seungcheol, his popularity, given that Joshua hadn’t been the student council president or some jock who spent his life in the court and all, so Seungcheol had only kept this distance to watch him from afar - that was until their social circles merged just recently.

Thinking about it, however, Joshua  _was_  undeniably attractive. He had soft wisps of caramel hair that swept past his ear and caressed his jaw, crystal clear eyes that were brown yet tinged with a gentle shade of gold, and chubby cheeks already carving itself into the sharp edges that made him so graceful, so ethereal.  Seungcheol remembered looking down at himself and sighing. Lanky build, eyes too puffy for his own good, and hair that was too frizzy especially obvious with that blonde bowl cut he was sporting. Glad that all those were history now that puberty kicked in. Despite that, as he glanced nervously towards Joshua’s direction again, Seungcheol still scowled. How was he going to spend two hours with the Untouchable God Joshua in a theme park alone - nevertheless even with Christmas lights twinkling in the fiery red skies of dusk, couples canoodling on the streets, and jingle bells jingling throughout the park alongside the chime of the children’s laughter? Seungcheol sighed. He hadn’t prepared himself for this.  

On the other hand, Joshua curled his lips into a smile.

“So,” Joshua started, “Seungcheol?”  

Seungcheol whipped his head up. Joshua chuckled again.

“You wanna just go to the meet-up place early?” he asked, and Seungcheol couldn’t help but to stare on with wide eyes as Joshua tugged the ends of his lips into that goddamn charming smile again. He sighed. This was going to be a long 2 hours.

Shrugging, Seungcheol let out a few nervous laughs and rubbed his nape. “Yeah, I think that’s cool!” Joshua hummed. Gaze flitting, Seungcheol then gestured towards the exit albeit a little wildly, grinning to mask his bewilderment. Again, Joshua merely nodded in acknowledgment, then moved to walk beside Seungcheol with a gentle smile.  

Seungcheol was not prepared for this.

Repeat, he was not prepared for this.

To have just the both of them strolling on the now deserted streets at almost sundown? Nope. To have his phone run out of credit so he had no social media to distract him from this awkwardness? Double nope. For both of them to be such awkward conversationalists? Triple nope. Seungcheol was keeping track – as of now, the only lines that have been exchanged between them ranged between “Sure is a nice day for a hanging out”, “Would you like some candy”, and “Do you think aliens are real”. He shook his head in despair. Mumbling under his breath, Seungcheol threw his head back desperately as he sped up his footsteps. The faster he exited the theme park, the faster he’ll get to the coffee shop and get free Wi-Fi, and the faster he’ll be able to use that as a distraction from this sticky situation and Joshua’s pretty face.

The one thing Seungcheol was prepared for, then, was the sudden rain. It was the dry season – if it was going to rain this late into the day, furthermore, this rain was going to come fast. Hard. Already sticking a hand deep into his backpack at the first droplet of rain on his arm, he fumbled around for an umbrella as he chanced a glance at Joshua.  

“Joshua?” Seungcheol waved a hand in front of Joshua’s dazed face. “Are you okay?” he asked, then finally yanking his umbrella out of his backpack with a huge satisfied grin and a loud “ah-ha!”.

Joshua snapped out his daze. “I, uh,” he stammered, looking around helplessly, “I realised that I left my umbrella at home.”

Seungcheol paused.  “Do you–” he gestured wildly– “are you–” he continued, pursing his lips as he frantically searched Joshua’s eyes– “perhaps you could share my umbrella…?” he trailed off, raising the umbrella in suggestion and flashing a weak smile.

Joshua stared at him. “Can I?”

“Of course you can!” Seungcheol replied, his face splitting into a grin. He then hurried to open the umbrella to shield them both, though the mini portable umbrella could barely shield them both from the increasingly intense rainfall.

Under the small, grey umbrella, Joshua and Seungcheol were huddled close together in the streets, listening on silently as “Jingle Bells” repeatedly chimed through the theme park. Under the small, grey umbrella, Seungcheol stared on as raindrops clung onto Joshua’s eyelashes. Under the small, grey umbrella, Joshua stared on as Seungcheol’s lashes fluttered in the light of the Christmas street lights overhead, casting a shadow down onto his dimpled cheek and light smile.  

If the quiet walk down the streets at sundown earlier was “weirdly pink and intimate”, this silent walk punctuated by the heavy downpour would be a burst of violent colours on the previously blank canvas of their blooming relationship.  

But the rain was getting progressively harder, and soon Seungcheol suggested that they made a run for the exit.

“3, 2, 1 – go!” he shouted, throwing a hand over Joshua’s shoulder to pull him in closer under the umbrella as they took off. The winds were howling, trees rustling violently, and Joshua would be shy about Seungcheol action if their umbrella didn’t give up on them in that instant and flipped inside out.

Seungcheol gasped as he lifted his head. “Oh, shucks!”

“Here!” Joshua yelled, yanking Seungcheol into the nearest indoor attraction. Rain-ridden, hair ruffled and hopelessly flustered – in what seemed like a theatre about to host a live show.

After a while, the thick red velvet curtains soon drew back to reveal a screen. The many questions they both had were soon answered.

“Now, would you all just put your hands together-” the entering host squealed, “for our resident stallion- “cue the crowd hollering- “Shrek’s noble steed, one so honoured to be gracing our Knight Club tonight, Donkey!”  

The crowd went wild, and the theatre was soon plunged into darkness.

Seungcheol and Joshua shared an amused glance. Shrek?  

_Wo! I feel good!_

Joshua smirked, then started bobbing his head to the funky beat.

_I knew that I would now_

Closing his eyes, Seungcheol snapped his fingers along.

_I feel good_

They looked over at each other.

_I knew that I would now_

They both shared a knowing glance.

“So good,” Seungcheol grinned cheesily.

“So good,” Joshua shot finger guns at Seungcheol.

“I got you,” chorused them both with the saxophone riff.

_Wo! I feel nice, like sugar and spice  
I feel nice, like sugar and spice_

Seungcheol stole a glance in Joshua’s direction. He raised an eyebrow in amusement. Joshua was clearly feeling the beat, closing his eyes to groove along.  

_When I hold you in my arms_  
I know that I can do no wrong  
And when I hold you in my arms  
My love won’t do you no harm

They were both enjoying themselves.

_So nice, so nice, I got you_

“Come on everybody stand up!” squealed the host.  Joshua bobbed his head along to the beat, getting onto his feet.

“This saxophone solo is  _sick_ , yo,” he grinned, mirroring Seungcheol’s expression. Mischief glinting in his eyes, the edges of his mouth upturned, Joshua was clapping along enthusiastically, infecting Seungcheol with his  _groove._   

_When I hold you in my arms_  
I know that I can do no wrong  
And when I hold you in my arms  
My love won’t do you no harm

“And I feel nice!” Seungcheol screeched along, bending over.

_like sugar and spice_

“Like sugar and spice!” He echoed.

_I feel nice, like sugar and spice  
So nice, so nice, I got you_

Dash. In a flash, Seungcheol leapt out of his seat past Joshua into the spotlight. 

_When I hold you in my arms_  
I know that I can’t do no wrong  
And when I hold you in my arms  
My love can’t do me no harm

Joshua’s jaw fell at how Seungcheol took over the attention seamlessly.  

“Shake shake, shake, shake your hips,” he hollered, “flail your arms, yeah!”

_Wo! I feel nice, like sugar and spice_

“Disco dance!” Joshua yelled.

_I feel nice, like sugar and spice_

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!”

“So nice, so nice, I got you~” The whole crowd sang along.

“Yeah!” the whole crowd cheered as the song came to an end.  

Seungcheol’s cheeks coloured a deep red once he came back to his senses. Embarrassed, the blush crept until his neck, and Joshua laughed at the cute sight. Grinning widely, Seungcheol covered his face with both his hands and wobbled his way back to Joshua, stepping out of the spotlight.

Not that Donkey let him.

“Why, young man, what’s your name?” Donkey smirked, the host ushering Seungcheol back into the spotlight.

“Seungcheol,” he mumbled, shyly fumbling with the microphone.

“Seungcheol, huh,” Donkey chuckled, “Nice moves. Curious though, who’s that gentleman right beside you?”

Seungcheol stole a glance in Joshua’s direction. “His name is Joshua,” he answered, his lips involuntarily tugging into a smile.

“He seemed to be enjoying himself an awful much during your performance!” Donkey commented. Seungcheol rubbed his nape shyly.

“And your relationship with him?” Donkey wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Boyfriends? Husbands?”

“No! No, no, we’re just friends,” Seungcheol blurted out, crinkling his eyes as his cheeky grin grew further, and felt the red on his cheeks darkening.

“Just boyfriends? Not husbands?” Donkey gasped. “Unbelievable! Why, then,” Donkey smirked.

“I’m going to marry you in front of the whole crowd tonight!”

Seungcheol gaped in disbelief. Marry? Joshua? His eyes widened comically. Shocked, he then chanced a glance at Joshua, who was also stunned wide-eyed. His eyes fluttered around the room nervously, his Adam apple bobbing up and down, and he darted out his tongue a few times to wet his suddenly chapped lips.  

Donkey interrupted all possible trains of thought. “Now, now, Kosh? Josh? Whatever. The gentleman over there with the sleek cross piercing on his helix that I can’t stop staring at, get down on one knee!”

Seungcheol was so sure Joshua was going to just laugh it off. Wasn’t that supposed to be the normal reaction? For people put in this situation to just continue refusing and laughing until the host couldn’t push them to do it anymore?  

_Then can someone explain why Joshua was getting down on one knee in front of him right now?_  

Seungcheol’s eyes couldn’t possibly widen any further. His heart was hammering in his chest, his long eyelashes fluttering rapidly, and he couldn’t stop the wide grin splitting across his face. Joshua, however, suddenly looked calm – nonchalant even – as compared to his previous apprehension. Seungcheol couldn’t comprehend neither this unexpected situation, nor what he was feeling.

“Now, let’s start with Joshua,” Donkey coughed.

“Joshua,” Donkey started, as the whole crowd held their breaths, “do you take Seungcheol here,” Donkey cleared his throat, “as your husband to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse-” Donkey paused, thinking- “as long as he stops bringing you to embarrassing shows like this one?”

The crowd burst out into laughter. However, as Seungcheol looked down at the kneeling Joshua with an amused expression, Joshua stared right into Seungcheol’s eyes with fervour.

“I do,” Joshua said, his voice as firm as ever.

The crowd gasped. Donkey smirked triumphantly.  

“Seungcheol,” he then turned towards him, “do you take Joshua here as your husband, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for richer, for poorer, as long as he gives you full control over his finances?”

The crowd giggled at this again. This time around, Joshua’s intense gaze was in turn laced with one of mild amusement, and proceeded to whip out a 10-dollar bill to offer it to Seungcheol. Pleasantly entertained, Seungcheol giggled a little at Joshua’s sense of humour, covering his mouth with his fist shyly.

“Maybe?” Seungcheol answered, then took a breath to calm his overjoyed self just to end up bursting into giggles again.

The crowd whooped in excitement. Seungcheol’s eyes crinkled into a puffy slit, Joshua’s creased into crescents, and their laughter joined those of the crowd cheering them on, congratulating them. Bashful, the both of them then sported matching blushes as they soon sat back down and continued watching as Donkey teased another child. Occasionally, Seungcheol caught Joshua stealing glances in his direction, and Joshua felt an intense gaze boring into the left side of his face at times. On the outside, they both looked fairly relaxed, looking as if they put that proposal behind them already, but only they themselves knew that that was going to be a memory that would cross their minds ever so often.

It was never spoken of ever again, however. Not even to their friends, as soon as they got out of the roller coaster and started gushing over the adrenaline rush they felt and how much Joshua and Seungcheol missed just by opting out of the ride.  

And although they didn’t look at each other in that moment, they simultaneously shared a smile and didn’t comment on that statement. From then on, they were both closer friends, but it was really as if that proposal hadn’t happened and that they just had perfectly normal bonding time during the two hours they were left alone together.

Until a few years later.

* * *

_“Hey, since you’re technically my husband now, wanna actually go on a date?”_

* * *

They were in the train commuting back home, and Joshua was staring at the Christmas lights zooming past the train window when lolled his head to the side to look at Seungcheol.  

Lazily curling his lips up into a smile, Joshua chuckled. “Hey, doesn’t this remind you of that time I proposed to you in the theme park?”

Seungcheol grinned cheekily. “What, these lights?” he asked, turning his head around to stare at the street decorations outside. He nodded, agreeing. “It does, actually,” Seungcheol said, turning back around to cast a fond gaze at Joshua. “And to think that the both of us got this far along still amazes me,” Seungcheol laughed.

“Still can’t believe you actually whipped out 10 dollars in front of everyone though,” he added. Joshua burst into a fit of hearty laughter.

“Well,” Joshua wiggled his eyebrows playfully, “at least we followed that 10-dollar bill up with this,” he beamed, flashing the engagement ring in the train’s compartment light as the both of them shared a knowing look. Unconsciously, the both of them then crinkled their eyes in joy as they stared down at their occupied fingers. Damn.

The train whirred past sceneries. Eyes sparkling, Seungcheol then nudged Joshua gently.

“Come here,” he purred, spreading his arms out as wide as he could in the jam-packed train. Joshua hummed. Spreading his arms open too, Joshua then wound his arms around Seungcheol tightly, burying his face into Seungcheol’s neck and inhaling his scent of pine wood and maple leaves. He sighed contently.

“I guess you could say that I scored myself a noble steed then,” Seungcheol murmured, nuzzling his face into Joshua’s soft chestnut hair. 10 years have passed, but he’s still the same Joshua as before. Exactly this hair colour, this laugh, this smile, this pair of eyes. Seungcheol pulled back a little, grinning at Joshua. Holding each other’s gazes, they were oblivious to anything and everything around them, and that was the most beautiful thing in the world – having each other as the only apple of their eyes and nothing else.

_When I hold you in my arms_  
I know that I can’t do no wrong  
And when I hold you in my arms  
My love can’t do me no harm

**Author's Note:**

> asdfghjkl; I hope y'all liked that!! talk to me in the comment section or leave a kudos to let me know :")


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